Tuesday, September 23, 2014

The American Red Cross and the Girl Scouts of Greater New York partnered to prepare and empower young girls at a First Aid and Wellness Day hosted by the Greater NY Red Cross on Sept. 20.

“Helping the community prepare for emergencies is at the core of the Red Cross mission,” said Amanda Crabbe, Greater NY Regional Manager, Youth Services. “Going back to decades, the Red Cross has a long history of getting youth involved in its mission.”

Throughout the day approximately 200 Girl Scouts, ages 5 to 17, from across the city participated in a variety of activities, including first aid and emergency preparedness classes, a “Scrubby Bear” hand washing presentation a Basic First Aid (BAT) event for younger girls, and an opportunity to design and build their own first aid kits.

Scouts also took part in a panel entitled, “Women in Emergency Management,” in which women from various disaster response organizations, including the Red Cross, discussed what they and what motivates them to work in their respective fields.

"This day was an amazing opportunity for our girls, who work every day to make the world a better place,” said Sarah Pooley, Manager, Youth Leadership & Volunteer Support, Girl Scouts of Greater New York. “Girl Scouting emphasizes leadership development, and this event gave our girls the opportunity to learn about leading during a disaster. We're grateful to the American Red Cross for this opportunity."

“My favorite part of the Red Cross training was learning how to deal with serious emergencies and how to get out of a fire, said Meghan Bernardy, a Junior with Troop 4791. “It was also fun to make a first aid kit to carry at all times.”